A woman is taking the makers of Ozempic to court over allegations that the company behind the drug knew it would cause her stomach problems.
Caren Elosua has filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, claiming that the weight loss drug has caused stomach problems for users.
In court documents, obtained by TMZElosua says that even with the alleged side effects in mind, she was still given Ozempic to help her type-2 diabetes.
The outlet reported that Elosua started taking 1ml of the drug in April 2021 and increased it to 2ml a few years after that.
At the end of last year, she claims she was diagnosed with gastroparesis, the weakening of the stomach muscles, and claims the weight loss medication caused it.
Ozempic has FDA approval as a diabetes drug, but it has been prescribed off label for weight loss to millions of Americans
Caren Elosua has filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, their headquarters can be seen here, claiming that weight loss drugs have caused stomach problems for users
Elosua claims she suffered from headaches, vomiting, cramps and severe stomach pains and decided to go to a specialist.
The gastroenterologist, she claims, informed her that her stomach muscles had become so weak that she could not digest food.
At the end of January, Elosua claims she got her last shot of Ozempic, but added that by this time the alleged damage was done.
Elosua also claims in her lawsuit that she had to be hospitalized because of the constant pain that ripped open her stomach area.
In her lawsuit, she claims that Novo Nordisk knew this drug would cause her such problems, and they continued to manufacture it.
Elosua is not alone in its claims, with patients across America filing lawsuits against Novo Nordisk who say they have experienced extreme side effects with the drug.
Most of the patients, like Elosua, claim they suffered from gastroparesis, which is the medical name for paralysis of the stomach.
The condition, which can be life-threatening, causes a build-up of food in the gut and symptoms include nausea, vomiting and severe pain.
A pharmacist holds a box of Novo Nordisk A/S Ozempic brand semaglutide medication arranged at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S., Monday, Nov. 27, 2023
In a review of a dozen lawsuits conducted by DailyMail.com in January this year, almost all of the lawsuits accuse Novo Nordisk of failing to warn them of the risks.
At least ten lawsuits have also been filed against Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, a diabetes drug that works similarly to Ozempic and Wegovy and is also prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Eli Lilly is also accused of failing to include proper warnings about Mounjaro’s risks.
In one case, a woman who used Ozempic and Mounjaro claims she was diagnosed with gastroparesis, which caused her to vomit so much that some of her teeth feel out.
In another, a woman was diagnosed with a ‘life-threatening intestinal injury’ after using Ozempic and underwent surgery that lasted nearly nine hours. Doctors said she would be in pain ‘for the rest of her life’ and ‘will never have a solid bowel movement again’.
A third lawsuit filed by a woman who used Wegovy claims she was diagnosed with ‘severe gastroparesis’ and was hospitalized with symptoms including going a week without a bowel movement.
Ozempic has FDA approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but has been prescribed off-label for weight loss to millions of Americans.
Mounjaro also has approval for diabetes, but can also be prescribed off label for weight loss.
Elosua is not alone in its claims, with patients across America filing lawsuits against Novo Nordisk who say they have experienced extreme side effects with the drug
Zakareeya Gregory was hospitalized for four weeks and had her gallbladder removed due to complications allegedly caused by her use of Ozempic
Zakareeya Gregory, 46, of Walker Mill, Maryland, told DailyMail.com that her gallbladder was removed after she suffered side effects allegedly caused by Ozempic, which she took for seven months until February 2020.
Gregory, who was prescribed Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes, said Ozempic initially helped her drop from 220 lb to 170 lb and lowered her blood sugar while causing only minor complications such as stomach pain.
The severe side effects such as extreme abdominal pain started ‘suddenly’ in late 2022, more than two years after she stopped taking Ozempic. Her legal complaint said she also used Rybelsus, a tablet form of the drug also made by Novo Nordisk, for a period during 2022.
Gregory was taken to the emergency room in December, where scans revealed a problem with her gallbladder, which surgeons removed during her four-week hospital stay.
‘I went home with a tube in my side that I had to keep changing (for) drainage. I kept it in for maybe about two weeks,’ said Gregory, who also needed a blood transfusion.
‘It was very awful, it was awful to have your gall bladder taken out. I never thought I would have to have my gallbladder taken out. I’ve never had a problem with that. It was a dramatic change in my life.’
Brea said doctors said she almost died from the complications allegedly caused by Ozempic. She said she was not warned about the side effects
Brea Hand, 23, told DailyMail.com she required five hospital visits before doctors diagnosed her with gastroparesis, which was allegedly caused by Ozempic
Brea Hand, 23, of Ponca City, Oklahoma, told DailyMail.com that she started using Ozempic in May 2023 and within weeks began suffering from nausea, vomiting and constipation.
Hand, a mother of two who was prescribed the drug to control her fluctuating weight and pre-diabetes, required five hospital visits before doctors diagnosed her with gastroparesis and diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be life-threatening.
At her last hospital visit, she was admitted to intensive care.
“They said my body was so mad that if I would have waited one more day, I wouldn’t have made it through,” said Hand, whose trial was set for Dec. 28.
‘It was terrifying. It was painful. I have never experienced this kind of pain in my entire life and I never want to go through it again.’
Hand, a behavioral science student, said she was not made aware of the side effects she suffered and wants to warn others about the risks of Ozempic.
‘I personally wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Just taking that risk would be too much for me from what I went through. I definitely think they should advertise more of the risks it has.’
DailyMail.com has approached Novo Nordisk for comment.